The Drifters Girl – 9th October – Newcastle Theatre Royal
The Drifters Girl becomes an honorary Geordie as her story is brought to life, here in Newcastle at the Theatre Royal. There was no time for any Kissing in the Back Row, and we certainly left feeling like we were Up On The Roof right next to those Drifters boys. The energy, the performance and the reaction were all next level. Everything from the projection prior to the show, to the opening number, right up to the final bow was incredible.
This musical tells the story of “the world’s first African American, female music manager” (Newcastle Theatre Royal). Beverley Knight stars in the title role, as the Drifters girl. Joined by the amazing vocals of Matt Henry, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender and Tosh Wanogho-Maud who all played a handful of roles.
Beverley as Faye!
Beverley Knight smashed this role despite the added pressure of Tina Treadwell, Faye’s daughter, being in the audience at the world premier of the musical. Her vocal power is not a joke. Her sound is unique and so beautiful. With moments of pure emotional offloading, to the powerful belts that Beverley is known to smash, she did it all at 100% all night.
The Drifters!
The Drifters were, similarly, amazing to hear. Matt Henry, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender and Tosh Wanogho-Maud were all vocally incredible and their vocal transformation as well as visual transformation between each character they played, was brilliant. Very clear characterisation, amazing versions of some classic Drifters tunes!
In The Room!
The energy in that room was next level. Everyone was clapping, toe tapping and singing along to some of the Drifters best known songs. This is an aesthetically stunning piece of theatre. The music, the dancing, the set design and costumes all work together in such a beautiful way.
Sure there were some technical difficulties. Actors being caught on set pieces, microphones not working, lights flickering and lines being forgotten, but these seem like a ‘the show is new’ issue not because of the production. I hope they get stamped out, but for a first ever performance, this show was better than I had expected. Assuming that these technical errors were one off’s, this show is one to go see… NOW! If you love the music of the Drifter’s and you like an emotionally fuelled story to go alongside it, this is the show for you. Reminding me of the Bodyguard, with its drama, musical injections and high impact story, this show and it’s cast are destined for greatness!
The Rating!
I give this show a perfect score. 5 out of 5 stars. With this show being a world premier, I think some of the issues were down to excitement or the newness of the show. Having seen the cast in other shows, this isn’t something that usually happens to them. This show was simply amazing and one to go see. This show is one for the hardcore fans of the Drifters, and those who simply want to see a musical. Neither feels out of place, and neither feels unwelcome. As arguably the youngest person in the audience, I was tapping away all night, and had a brilliant time.
Are you going to be getting your ticket to the Land of Make Believe, or are you going to be saving your Money Honey? Let me know in the comments and let’s get a discussion going.
As always, please be respectful of each other’s opinions and be kind to each other. I completely respect and value everyone that worked on this show. We need to remember that these are people with feelings. Let’s treat them with respect. Bullying will not be tolerated and harmful language will be removed.
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Featured photographs were taken from Newcastle Theatre Royal’s website
Alyx Taylor-Scott